🚨 Breaking News: French Nationals Face Death Penalty in Iran; Paris Threatens Sanctions
Two French nationals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, detained in Iran for three years, now face the death penalty on espionage charges. Paris has warned Tehran of potential sanctions, raising questions about the future of diplomatic relations.
Detention and Charges
Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were arrested in May 2022 during a tourist trip to Iran. They have been charged with espionage in favor of Israeli services and face the death penalty. According to their relatives, the couple is also accused of “conspiracy to overthrow the diet” and “corruption on earth.”
French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that France has not been formally notified of the charges against the pair. He described the conditions of their detention as “comparable to torture” and the charges as “unjustified and unfounded.”
Forced Confessions
The Iranian regime disseminated a video of forced confessions in which the couple admitted to being members of the DGSE, France’s intelligence services, and working to “reverse the Iranian regime.” However, Iran had previously only indicated that the two were accused of espionage without specifying for which country.
Recently, the situation has worsened as Iran leads an intense hunt for Israeli “spies.” The couple is now accused of working for Mossad, Israel’s intelligence and external operations services.
International Sanctions and Diplomatic Tensions
The charges come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the West, particularly after the Israeli offensive on Iran and subsequent U.S. intervention. David Rigoulet-Roze, an associate researcher at IRIS and specialist in the Middle East, suggests that the fate of hostages is linked to international sanctions that Western countries could reimpose on Iran.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in Vienna in 2015, planned to supervise Iran’s nuclear program in return for a reduction in international sanctions. However, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018, leading Iran to increase its enriched uranium reserves and raise fears of an accelerated nuclear program.
Resolution 2231 of the Security Council, which endorses the JCPOA, includes a “snapback” clause allowing for the reimposition of sanctions if a participating state complains of a violation. France and the United Kingdom have indicated their readiness to trigger this mechanism.
France’s Response
Jean-Noël Barrot warned that France could reimpose an arms embargo, nuclear equipment sanctions, and financial restrictions on Iran. This threat has raised concerns in Tehran, already under maximum pressure from U.S. sanctions.
Rigoulet-Roze notes that by detaining Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, Tehran has sent an implicitly threatening message to Paris. The fate of the hostages is now tied to potential sanctions, indicating an adjustment in France’s diplomatic strategy.
Historical Context and Expert Insights
Sébastien Regnault, a researcher specializing in Iran, criticizes French diplomacy for allowing the detention of the couple to become a diplomatic issue. He argues that such cases should be resolved behind the scenes and not linked to broader political disputes.
Historically, Western hostages in Iran have been used as bargaining chips. In 2022, Belgian humanitarian worker Olivier Vandecasteele was released after 15 months in exchange for an Iranian imprisoned in the U.S. Similarly, the British couple Craig and Lindsay Foreman were detained in January 2025 on suspicion of spying.
While the death penalty is a common tool of repression in Iran, Western hostages have so far avoided capital punishment. The Iranian regime understands the priority placed on the physical and mental integrity of detained nationals by Western countries.
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